How to make all employees feel safer at work and more willing to build authentic connections.
The architecture, engineering, and construction industry is in a recruiting and retention crisis. So how do we attract the right talent and retain them? Within this scarcity we need powerful solutions. The science says that building an inclusive culture draws new talent to your organization and promotes retention. And recent research shows that inclusion efforts actually benefit both majority and minority group members.
New data shows the key is signaling inclusion at an organizational level. For majority group members, signaling inclusion leads to more allyship behaviors – positive actions on behalf of a different group member.
For both majority and minority group members, signaling inclusion leads to:
- Rating the organizational culture higher.
- A higher likelihood of revealing one’s personal identities that may be sensitive or intimidating to share at work (relationship status, parental status, religious identity, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, etc.).
What causes these positive outcomes?
For both groups, the research shows that signaling inclusion makes all employees feel safer at work and more willing to take social risks and build authentic social connections.
So how can your organization signal inclusion? Signaling inclusion can take many forms such as:
- Supporting identity-based employee-resource groups.
- Utilizing a DEI team/committee/consultants to support DEI initiatives.
- Building a DEI strategic roadmap.
- Providing DEI learning and development.
- Assessing your key people systems for inclusiveness (think hiring and promotions).
- Offering inclusive benefits.
- Conducting community outreach.
As leaders, we can’t simply hope everyone treats each other with respect and inclusion or leave the work of DEI to the individual allies in the organization. Instead, we have to signal inclusion from the top down. Organizations can be allies. And the good news is that DEI actually raises all boats, creating a more safe, connective workplace for everyone.
Need support signaling inclusion in your organization? Reach out to illuceo, Zweig Group’s strategic partner in DEI consulting, for any of your strategic organizational effectiveness and data-driven DEI consulting needs.
Lauren Aguilar, Ph.D., is founder and CEO of illuceo, Zweig Group’s strategic partner in DEI consulting. Contact her at lauren@illuceoinc.com.
